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Hand Dryer vs. Paper Towel LCA Analysis

i. The hand dryer can dry 260,000 pairs of hands over its lifespan of 10 years, while the paper towel dispenser can dry 208,000 pairs of hands over its lifespan of 8 years. ii. To dry 260,000 pairs of hands would require 1.25 paper towel dispensers and 520,000 paper towels. iii. The system boundaries include the production, use, and disposal processes for both the hand dryer and paper towel dispenser and paper towels. The functional unit is drying 260,000 pairs of hands.

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Benhazen Lynn Deirdre
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26 views3 pages

Hand Dryer vs. Paper Towel LCA Analysis

i. The hand dryer can dry 260,000 pairs of hands over its lifespan of 10 years, while the paper towel dispenser can dry 208,000 pairs of hands over its lifespan of 8 years. ii. To dry 260,000 pairs of hands would require 1.25 paper towel dispensers and 520,000 paper towels. iii. The system boundaries include the production, use, and disposal processes for both the hand dryer and paper towel dispenser and paper towels. The functional unit is drying 260,000 pairs of hands.

Uploaded by

Benhazen Lynn Deirdre
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

i.

How many pairs of hands are dried throughout the lifespan of each
product? (/1)
use years week
(
Hand dryer = 500
year
∗10 ) ( ) ( )
lifespan
∗52
year
=260,000 pair of hands

use years week


Paper Towel Dispenser= 500 (
year) (
∗8 ) (
lifespan
∗52
year )
=208,000 pair of hands

ii. What are the reference flows needed to satisfy the functional unit (i.e.
number of hand dryers, paper towel dispensers and paper towels needed
to dry 260,000 pairs of hands)? (/2)

260,000 pair of hands


paper towel dispenser ¿ satisfy functional unit= =1.25
208,000 pair of hands
hands towels
(
number of paper towel ¿ satisfy functional unit=260,000 ) (
dispenser
∗2 )
hands
=520,000 towels

iii. Based on the information given, draw the system boundary for both the
products. Include the process names and amounts needed for the
functional unit (/10)

Figure 1: System Boundary of Hand Dryer


Figure 2: Environmental impact of Hand Dryer

Figure 3: Environmental impact of Paper towel


iv. Estimate the climate change impacts of both the products in fulfilling the
functional unit using Simapro (/8)

v. We are assuming that the hand dryer and the paper towel dispenser has
the same internal components. What are the implications of this
assumptions for us in conducting a comparative LCA?

The exclusion of electronic components, although both products contain the


same types and the same quantity, the environmental impact of the extraction
and the production process generates pollution of some kind.

Besides, many of the electronic components can be recycled, because they are
made of metal.

vi. What are some of the limitations of your LCA model? (/2)
In this model we are not including box production. Transportation from university
of Guelph to Landfill. The system is also simplified, due to ABS can be recycled
and in this LCA everything is considered as a waste.

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